WineGuessrWine region · Spain
Andalusia wine
Andalusia is a wine region in southern Spain, famous for Sherry from the triangle of Jerez de la Frontera, Sanlúcar de Barrameda and El Puerto de Santa María. Palomino supplies about 90% of Sherry grapes, while Pedro Ximénez and Moscatel make sweet wines. Jerez became Spain's first denominación in 1933.
| Country | Spain |
|---|---|
| Climate | Mediterranean, with long, hot, dry summers |
| Main grapes | Palomino, Pedro Ximénez, Muscat, Zalema |
| Key appellations | Jerez-Xérès-Sherry, Manzanilla-Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Montilla-Moriles, Málaga, Condado de Huelva |
| Wines on WineGuessr | 5 |
History
In 1933 Jerez-Xérès-Sherry became the first Spanish denominación to be officially recognised. Within the European Union only wine from this area may be called sherry, and producers elsewhere have had to adopt other names, such as Apera in Australia and Canada. Inland, Montilla-Moriles in Córdoba province makes wines in a similar way, Málaga is known for sweet wines from Moscatel and Pedro Ximénez, and Condado de Huelva in Huelva province grows Zalema and Palomino. See fortified wine for how these styles compare with Port.
Terroir and appellations
Sherry comes from the triangle formed by Jerez de la Frontera, Sanlúcar de Barrameda and El Puerto de Santa María in Cádiz province. Its best vineyards grow on albariza, a white soil of about 40% chalk mixed with clay and sand that is considered ideal for Palomino. Sanlúcar has its own DO, Manzanilla-Sanlúcar de Barrameda, for its fino-style wines. Montilla-Moriles has a semi-continental Mediterranean climate with long, hot, dry summers and 2,800 to 3,000 hours of sun a year; it had 5,025 ha of vineyards in 2016–17. Málaga's sweet wines come partly from the Axarquía hills east of the city.
Grapes and wine styles
Palomino makes up about 90% of the grapes grown for Sherry. Dry Sherries are aged in the solera system, in which younger wine is blended into older barrels over time. Fino and manzanilla age under flor, a layer of yeast that protects the wine from oxygen, while amontillado and oloroso are more oxidised styles. Sweet styles use Pedro Ximénez or Moscatel (Muscat), often from sun-dried grapes. Montilla-Moriles relies on Pedro Ximénez, and unlike Sherry its wines are usually not fortified. Its sweet PX is thick, syrupy and almost black.
5 wines from Andalusia on the map
Other Andalusia wines
Andalusia wine: questions and answers
Is Sherry only made in Jerez?
Within the European Union, only wine from the Jerez area of Andalusia, the triangle of Jerez de la Frontera, Sanlúcar de Barrameda and El Puerto de Santa María, can be called Sherry. Similar wines made elsewhere use other names, such as Apera in Australia.
What grape is Sherry made from?
Most Sherry is made from Palomino, which supplies about 90% of the grapes. Pedro Ximénez and Moscatel are used mainly for sweet Sherries.
What is the difference between fino and manzanilla?
Both are dry Sherries aged under a layer of flor yeast. Manzanilla is the version aged in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, which has its own DO, while fino is aged mainly in Jerez and El Puerto de Santa María.
Is Montilla-Moriles wine fortified?
Usually not. Montilla-Moriles is made in a similar way to Sherry, including flor ageing, but from Pedro Ximénez grapes and generally without added spirit.
Other wine regions of Spain
All wine regions →Sources: en.wikipedia.org, en.wikipedia.org
Last reviewed October 2026.